Join Our Team as Director of Product Testing
At On, we are dedicated to empowering human movement and delivering exceptional performance and sensory experiences. We are on the lookout for a visionary Director of Product Testing to lead the transformation of our lab from a traditional mechanical testing center into a cutting-edge hub for dynamic, consumer-centric, and subjective product validation. This pivotal leadership role aims to integrate the voice of the athlete and the psychology of the consumer into the core of our product creation process, ensuring that every On product exemplifies the essence of Swiss Engineering.
Your Mission
As the Director of Product Testing, you will architect our future testing strategy. You will lead a talented team of technical experts, guiding them to explore not just the 'what' of objective durability but also the 'why' behind subjective feel, comfort, and performance. You will establish and manage a new, independent lab focused on fit, wear, and innovation, creating methodologies and environments essential for capturing actionable consumer insights. Your leadership will play a crucial role in shifting our quality paradigm from reactive analysis to proactive excellence, embedding quality and consumer obsession right at the start of the product lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a forward-thinking strategy for product testing that emphasizes subjective, consumer-focused feedback and psychological insights over traditional objective mechanical testing.
- Team Development & Mentorship: Lead, inspire, and upskill a team of technical testing experts, fostering a culture of trust, stability, and high performance while coaching them in consumer psychology and sensory analysis.
- Methodology Innovation: Design and implement innovative testing frameworks, including dynamic focus groups and A/B testing protocols, to scientifically assess subjective product attributes such as comfort, fit, and sensation of speed.
- Organizational Management & Alignment: Provide unified leadership and strategic direction to our global Product Testing organization, managing geographically distributed teams and harmonizing foundational durability with advanced athlete and consumer insights.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product Development, Design, Quality Engineering, and Strategy teams to ensure testing insights are integrated early in the design and manufacturing processes, preventing potential issues.
- Technological Advancement: Advocate for the adoption of new technologies, including AI and automation, to enhance team efficiency and focus on in-field, human-centric testing.
- Insight Synthesis: Translate complex quantitative and qualitative data into a coherent narrative that informs critical product decisions and reinforces our commitment to premium, consumer-focused products.
Your Story
- A World-Class People Leader: You are a fantastic and experienced leader, known for cultivating trust, managing effectively, and nurturing the "superpowers" of your team members.
- Consumer-Obsessed: You are passionate about understanding consumer behavior and consistently place the consumer at the center of every decision.
- A Strategic Thinker with an Explorer's Spirit: With a non-traditional approach to testing, you possess an entrepreneurial mindset that challenges the status quo and explores new frontiers in product validation.
- Psychologically Astute: You bring a strong interest or background in psychology, consumer science, or a related field, facilitating a scientifically rigorous approach to subjective testing.
- An Exceptional Communicator: You excel at articulating a clear vision and providing constructive feedback to your team and stakeholders.
Qualifications
- Proven experience in a senior leadership role, with a strong track record of building and developing high-performing teams.
- Experience in a consumer-facing industry is crucial; a background in sporting goods (footwear, apparel, accessories), consumer electronics, or other premium product categories is highly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to lead through organizational changes. A degree or advanced studies in Psychology, Kinesiology, Human Factors, or related fields is advantageous but not mandatory.
- Passion for sport, movement, and the On brand.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.